Locking means for folding table legs



G. PETERSON LOCKING MEANS FOR FOLDING TABLE LEGS Filed June 5, 1946 Aug. 9, 1949.

I N V EN TOR 620/96 P421290 29 BY I iatented Aug. 9, 1949 '7 s FOR:

- *TAIIIBLEIEEGES FOIiBiN'G George leterso'n, Seattlg wash. l niiplieatien 1946, Serial No. 574,549 f I a o tfi s toprovi'de table leg locking II i act 'fasiptrilt'means to e'fficiently ld the tab16'1e'gS when they are in tgifat ly to 't "'stalziil ity' of the, table.

-*'Another object "is 'to provide table leg locking willii-rrfilybutresiliently hold the I ih -a fo-l'ded for inoperative position by preventing the folded table legs from jajr t-ailp'wing the: folded table legs to be 1 l.-:ly -'ari"d*e'asilymoved to an open posi- .iiiot'her obfietfi'sto provide a table structure a'tipew'el l-adapted' for use tithe-construction all 'tables suph aspard tables. I I I I obje ct isfto provide'tablejleg locking Fni fis-rin fi'fih'ioh ftwo "pivotally rnoimted strut rnl$eis" are1lsed-fdr-holdingtvvo pairs of table l in 1 e in wlficlra pressure bar supportedby a centrally positioned springi'is 'u'sed fto yieldinglyhold .the -stf'fit "nielnliers "in 'fenga'ge'r iint fw'ith cross bars that c nhCtjthetwo tame legs' of each-pair. 1 "I rawings'l igure lfis a'lon'gitudinal sec- "tion ew of a tablestrueturehaving legs and n9 irieahs oonstriicted injaocordance with i e c v entionand Showing the legs in a folded eidirction of-broken line 2- -'-'-2- of Fig. 1. 3 isa long iti'i'di-nalsectionalview of said cwmg the legs locked in an open or operan artsofthe legs-beingbroken away.

bate construction are provided. The two legs 8 I I -55 ti0n 1of" the ends ofi thev strutaemmbrs .1 l-'3 a.-rid

pfzonezpaifihave their flipper end portions. rig-idly d 0' open? position-thereby contributing g toanfopen position vvhenthe table isithr a folded or a'n open position "and ilfigflf is" a:fragmentary 'sectional- View showmg se'cured to a eross -piece t0. The".tW0i:lgS'I;9"-flf the =ot-he'r pair have their upper :end IJOEtiOIIS 'rig idl y s'ecured ian'other' c'ro'ss piece l'Ll'. eiP-h'e' ttv'o table legs are transversely :offset relative It's th e t-wo' =table legs 9 *so that sa'icl table legs will r61 dalong'side or-eachother without interf'erenee. his oan-be' done -by positioning the txvo 'table l s and are connected by hinges l2 "with -thetable mp 55. "The hinges i2fa'repositlioned far enough ai way jIro'm' th reinforoingibarsf6 and 'If'so' that when the {table legs are; in the opnifp'osition, shown in Fig.3, the cros pieces HI and "Willre'st'. against their n'foreing' ba1's"6".and"l' resp ct vely and b tree-ea and sdppoi'ted thereby againstl'furtlier ofitward' swinging; mo ement of the legs-8 fan' ia. Ihe bars u6land1 thus mnenon as stop members. Means' for positively, holding the table legs in open-pr:eictended-z-position and for: resiliently holding said 1 table .legs -,in a, folded position :is provided. This means .comprisestwo strut mem- "GentraIlyJpoSitiOn ed block l6 that is rigidly =secured-to theibottomsideof the -.tab1e. I

;A--bolt' I] is rigidlyisecured to=the -block.;l6-and project s-dow-nwardly therefrom. SA pressure -=bar I3 has its :meclial portion slidably amounted-eon the bolt ll {The pressure bar l8 extends :imopposite directions from the ;bo1t l'lunderneath the strut members-J3 and w-M -Vandthe end portions of said: pressure bar engage with r and press against'the-;str1 t;members I3 and' I4. A com- ;press ion-spring l9is provided-0n'- the-bo1t l'land adjustable'nut means-'20 is provided -on-'the-bolt l -'I--to s1 1ppo1ft the spring; {9. Pr eferably-ranwasher 2 l :is provi dedaateach endof the spring l9. Also preferably theend-of thesbolt; I1 is upset'or -muti- 'latedrto prevent'completeremoval of the nut rneans ZU; I I

- 'I?he';.e nd portionsof' thewpressure bar; l:8 that contact thestrut members 1 3 and l 4 preferably are beveled to conform in a general-way? tof'the -incl;ineof the strut members- I 3 and l 4. These end portions are also provided with longitudinal slots 22 that fit over stud pins 23 whichzare' rigidly 'securedto the strutmembers l3' and 14. The pins 23' prevent sidewise'displ'acementof the'pres- IStlle bar A 18 relative to the strut members 5 I3 jaifld M. i v. e r

' The lowermfo'st inner corners of: the cross pieces lllandi U have notches 24" therein for} the recepsure bar 24 having an arched medial portion 35.

The arched medial portion 35 extends between the hinged ends of two strut members 26 and 21 which are similar to the strut members 13 and I4 except that they have grooves 28 to receive protruding portions 29 on the outer end portions of the strut members 26 and 21. I

The grooves 28 and protruding portions 29 replace the slots 22 and pins 23 of Figs. 1 to 3. A relatively short stud bolt 30 rigid with the table protrudes through the pressure bar 24 and into the arched portion 35 thereof and has a compression spring 3| thereon to yieldingly press the outer end portions of the pressure bar against the strut members 26 and 27. In this construction the stud bolt 30 and spring 3| are shielded and protected so that they are not liable to come in contact with walls, floors and pieces of furniture when the table is folded. The structure shown in Fig. 4 operates in the same manner as the structure shownin Figs. 1 to 3. When the legs of this table are folded, as shown in Fig. 1, they will lie close to the table 5 and alongsideof each other and the strut members l3 and [4 will yieldingly engage with the cross pieces and I l' with sufiicient force to retain these cross pieces and the legs 8 and 9 in a folded position. Toset up the table the legs 8 and 9 are quickly and easily swung downwardly into positions perpendicular to the table. In these positions the cross pieces l0 and H rest firmly against the reinforcing bars 6 and l and the end portions of the strut members I3 and! drop into the notches 24 and lock the table legs against inward swinging movement. Obviously these table legs will be firmly locked against inward swinging movement as long as the ends of the strut members are engaged within the notches 24 but can be folded inwardly when the end portions of said strut members are lifted out of the notches 24.

The springs l9 and 3l can be of any desired strength and the pressure of these springs can be adjusted by adjusting the nut means that supports them and the useful life of these springs will ordinarily be greater than the life of the table. The springs 20 and 3! are usually adjusted to yieldingly hold the table legs in a folded position by enough pressure'so that said table legs can easily be opened out manually. However, if the nuts are tightened sufficiently against the springs the table legs can be positively locked in a folded position. To facilitate quick and easy adjustment of the nuts that hold the springs 20 and 3| 1- may use wing nuts for this purpose. Obviously changes in this invention may be made within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim: 1

1. A table structure comprising a table top; two pairs of table legs pivotally connected with said table top in spaced apart relation; a cross piece rigidly connecting the two legs of each pair; a stud bolt rigidly secured to said table top between said two pairs of tablelegs and extending downwardly therefrom} two strut members hinged to said table top adjacent said stud bolt and extending outwardly therefrom and engaging the respective cross pieces of said two pairs of table legs to hold said table legs in either a folded or an open position; a pressure bar having its medial portion slidably mounted on said bolt and its end portions resting against said strut members at equal distances from said bolt; and a spring on said bolt yieldingly urging said pressure bar against said strut members providing equal pressure on each of said strut members.

2. A table structure comprising a table top; two cross pieces hinged to the under side of said table top near opposite sides thereof; two table legs rigid with each cross piece; a stud bolt rigidly secured to the medial portion of said table top and extending downwardly therefrom; two strut members hinged to said table top adjacent said stud bolt and extending toward and over said cross pieces, said cross pieces having notches adapted to receive the end portions of the strut members when the cross pieces rest against said reinforcing bars; a pressure bar having its medial portion slidably mounted on said bolt and its end portions resting against said strut members at equal distances from said bolt; and a spring on said bolt yieldingly urging said pressure bar against said strut members providing equalpressure on each of said strut members.

3. A table structure comprising a table top; two cross pieces positioned below said table top and hinged thereto near opposite sides of said table top; table legs rigid with each cross piece and movable between positions substantially perpendicular to and substantially parallel with said table top; two strut members hinged to the medial portion of said table top in spaced apart relation and having their outer end portions positioned in engagement with said cross pieces to hold the leg members in either a folded or an said pressure bar against said strut members, said stud boltand spring being shielded within the arched portionofsaid pressure bar.

4. A table structure comprising a tabletop; two reinforcing bars rigidly secured to the under side of said table top and extending across the same near opposite sides thereof; two cross pieces hinged to said tabletop inwardly from said bars and arranged togswing outwardly against said bars two table legs rigid with each cross piece; a stud bolt rigidly secured to the medial portion of said table top and eitendingdownwardly therefrom; two strutmembers hinged to said 'table top adjacent said stud bolt and extending toward and over said cross pieces, said cross pieces having notches adapted to receive the end portions of the strut members when the cross pieces rest against said'reinforcing bars; 'a pressure bar having its medial portion slidably mounted on said bolt and its end portions resting against said strut members at equal distances from said bolt; and a spring on said bolt yieldingly urging said pressure bar against said strut members providing equal pressure on each of said strut members;

5. A table structure comprising a table top; two reinforcing bars rigidly secured to the under side of said table top and extending across the same near opposite sides thereof; two cross pieces hinged to said table top inwardly from said reinforcing bars and arranged to swing outwardly against said reinforcing bars; two table legs rigid with each cross piece; a block secured to the under side of said table medially thereof; a stud bolt rigid with said block and extending downwardly therefrom; two strut members hinged to said block and extending in opposite directions therefrom and having their outer end portions positioned on the respective cross pieces; notchw in the innermost lower corners of said cross pieces positioned to receive the outer end portions of said strut members when said cross pieces and the legs connected therewith are perpendicular to said table top; a pressure bar having its medial portion slidably mounted on said bolt and having its end portions positioned in engagement with said strut members; and a' spring on said bolt yieldingly urging said pres- 7 sure bar toward said strut members.

6. A table structure comprising a table top; two reinforcing bars secured to the under side of said table top and extending across the same near opposite sides thereof; two cross pieces hinged to said table top inwardly from said reinforcing bars and arranged to open against said reinforcing bars; two table legs rigid with each cross piece, the legs carried by each cross piece being transversely offset relative to the 6 legs carried by the other cross piece; a block secured to the under side of said table medially thereof; a stud bolt rigid with said block and extending downwardly therefrom; two strut members hinged to said block and extending in opposite directions therefrom and having their outer end portions positioned on the respective cross pieces; notches in the innermost lower corners of said cross pieces positioned to receive the outer end portions of said strut members when said cross pieces and the legs connected therewith are perpendicular to said table top; a pressure bar carried by said bolt and having its'end portions positioned in engagement with said strut members; means preventing transverse displacement of said pressure bar and said strut members; a spring on said bolt yieldingly urging said pressure bar toward said strut members; and adjustable nut means on said bolt supporting said spring.

GEORGE PETERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 246,217 Sargent Aug. 23, 1881 711,562 Garben Oct. 21, 1902 2,373,760 Howe Apr. 17, 1945 

